Cravings

Good afternoon!

We made it to June! Hopefully the gloom will go away soon and we can just enjoy the summer weather.

I don't know about you, but food cravings can be the death of me. I can be eating great and feeling even better about myself and then, BAM, a food craving hits. Sometimes my will power is enough to get through it, but other times, man, I cave. And as soon as I'm done eating that thing I was craving, I'm left with regret. "Why did I eat that?" "I was doing so good."

I think we can all relate to this in some way. Today, I want to give you some tips so you don't fall off the wagon. We all know this too i'm sure, once we fall off, it is so much harder to get back on track.

Here are some tips to ward off those evil cravings!!! Because we know... it's NEVER an apple we want....

1. Don't wait to eat

If you wait longer than 5 hours to eat, chances are you'll be reach for that Snickers. The reason is because you're blood sugar has dropped, that's when the cravings kick in. So the rule is DON'T wait longer than 5 hours to eat something. Here are a few healthy snacks under 50 calories: a peach 5 pretzels 2 cups of light popcorn 15 grapes

2. No surprise here...Protein

Every meal you eat should include protein. Protein can actually help prevent food cravings because it helps control your blood sugar levels. Protein contains cholecystokinin (CKK) which is an appetite suppressant. Here are a few healthy protein sources: skinless chicken turkey low fat cheese fish eggs extra firm tofu tempeh

3. Water

Many people tend to crave salty food when they are dehydrated. Before you reach for the bag of chips, try drinking 8 ounces of water and see if still want them. Any time you have a craving it actually might just be thirst. So always carry a water bottle with you. Water will also keep you full longer so this is definitely a great solution. AND water doesn't have ANY calories! Win, Win!

4. Distract yourself

Have you ever found yourself wanting to eat because you are either bored, anxious, or are feeling other emotions that we just want to go away? Eating your feelings is never a good solution. What is though...is finding an activity you can do besides eating. One of my favorite activities is going for a walk. I'd much rather walk off a few calories than stuff myself with a few hundred. So...get out and do something!

5. Get minty

If you feel a craving coming on go brush and floss your teeth. Once your teeth are so fresh and so clean you wont want to grime them up again. If you don't feel like brushing you can also swish some mouth wash for the same effect. Not at home...pop in a piece of minty sugarless gum. Chewing can also distract your mouth from wanting actually food.

That does it for today!